A Series of Oneshots: Cedric and Harry
by Spunky875
Summary: A collection of oneshots looking into the evolving relationship of Cedric and Harry, set during the Goblet of Fire.


**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its characters do not belong to me but to J.K. Rowling.

**Warnings:** slash, male x male

**Dancing Together**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Harry asked, looking down at his clenched hands. "I mean….is the school ready for this? For us?"

"Harry, I think the better question is are you ready for this?" Cedric replied wisely. He knew Harry didn't actually care what the school thought of the two of them being together, he simply cared about the reaction of his friends to the more, well, public announcement. Neither of them had told their close friends yet that they were homosexual, or that they were dating each other. Grabbing one of Harry's hands into his own, Cedric sat patiently, waiting for his lover's response.

The two sat hidden beneath the Quidditch pitch's bleachers, one of the safest places for them to meet. Both being avid players, or more specifically seekers, it seemed a logical place for them to be if someone were to stumble upon them. Also it was private, as there was no Quidditch this year due to the Tri-Wizard Tournament and thus no house was using the pitch for practices.

"The thing is, I don't know if I'm ready! What if Hermione and Ron don't….don't accept me? I just don't know what I'd do without them..." Harry sighed, visibly worried. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Harry looked at Cedric, wanting his input.

"If they're your friends, they'll accept you." Cedric said firmly. "Just think though, don't you want to stop lying to them about us? To stop hiding our relationship from people and just be who we want to be?" Sliding his arm behind Harry, he snuggled closer to his boyfriend.

"You're right," Harry replied, "And I want to tell everyone that you're mine, its just…such a big step. And I'm not sure that it's the right time…I mean…going as partners for the Yuletide Ball? With all the stupid hype that surrounds it?"

"That's why it's perfect. It shows that we're not hiding anymore, you know?" Cedric said, trying to convince Harry. He had had enough of keeping their relationship a secret, lying to his friends and family was not fun. But he wouldn't say anything unless Harry was in agreement with him. They were partners in this after all.

"Oh, I know you're right Ced, I just don't want to admit it. Stubborn Gryffindor pride, I guess. We'll do it." Harry replied, giving Cedric a light peck on the cheek. "Just don't you dare lift me up the way they made us do during the dance lessons." He warned, completely serious.

"I won't." Cedric promised. "Now how about we stop arguing and make up for lost time?" The two of them had been so busy in preparation for the first task of the Tri-Wizard tournament that they haven't been able to spend much time with each other. They had simply been too busy and exhausted.

"And how do you plan on doing that Ced?" Harry replied suggestively, winking at his boyfriend.

"You just wait and see," Cedric said with a smirk.

xxxxx

"Hey mate, have you found a date yet for the ball?" Ron asked Harry, as the two made their way to the dungeons for potions.

Shifting his heavy school bag on his shoulder, Harry just shook his head, not wanting to reply to Ron's inquiry.

"There's only two days left! What are you going to do?" Ron persisted, not picking up on Harry's hint that he didn't want to talk about it.

"I don't know. I reckon there's got to be someone left." Harry replied nonchalantly. "But what 'bout you? Do you have one already?"

"Nah, like you said; there's got to be someone left." Ron said, not wanting to discuss his date, or lack there of, anymore than Harry. "Just as long as we don't get stuck with someone ugly, we're set, right?"

"Right," Harry replied. He wasn't worried, Cedric was definitely not ugly. Just thinking of his muscular frame and dark brown eyes was enough to make Harry swoon.

"Harry?" Ron said, snapping his fingers in front of Harry's face. "Are you alright? Harry?" His friend was off in la la land, a place he seemed to be visiting more and more every day.

"Huh?" Harry shook his head, leaving his thoughts of Cedric and turning back towards Ron. "Oh, look, we're here. And yeah, I'm fine."

"Whatever mate, whatever." Ron mumbled as they entered potions.

xxxxx

"So Harry, Cedric, are you two ready to go?" Professor McGonagall questioned, stopping in front of the two boys.

"Ready for..?" Harry questioned, not knowing what McGonagall was talking about at all.

"To dance." Professor McGonagall said, in a tone that suggested he should have already known that. "It's traditional for the three, well in this case four, Tri-Wizard champions to start off the ball in the first dance, didn't I tell you that?" Professor McGonagall replied, playing around with her hair. She glanced around, wondering where Harry's and Cedric's dates were. "And your partners? Where are they?"

"Oh…um…uh…" Harry stuttered, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Cedric spoke up before he could say anything stupid.

"Right here professor," Cedric said with a smirk, taking Harry's hand firmly into his own. There was nothing stopping them now.

Professor McGonagall could only stare. There had been nothing preparing her for an announcement such as that. "Well….well then, I'll inform the headmaster that you two are ready..." she said in a rush, turning around and entering into the Great Hall.

"Well I guess that's it then," Harry said, smiling at his boyfriend. "Are you ready Ced?"

"Definitely." Cedric said confidently. "Will you take this dance, Harry?" He said with a bow.

"Yes," Harry replied, looping his arm with Cedric's. The two got in line with the other two champions.

As the doors to the Great Hall opened, the champions entered the hall, arm in arm with their partners. The first surprise to many was Viktor Krum with Hermione Granger. However, nothing prepared them for the pair that came after.

"Oh my goodness," Pavarti whispered to Ron. "Is that Cedric and Harry…together?"

Ron could only nod his head. What the hell? Ron thought to himself. Since when is Harry gay? And on a date with Diggory? And why didn't Harry tell him?

"That's five galleons," George whispered gloatingly to Fred. "I told you he was gay."

Fred reluctantly handed over the money. "I should know by now not to bet against you."

The whispers and the stares only grew more numerous as Harry and Cedric continued walking towards the dance floor. Cedric kept glancing worriedly at Harry, trying to determine whether or not he was okay or not. It was hard to tell Harry's emotions, he was like a book that you had to read really slowly and thoroughly before you could even begin to comprehend the content. He seemed fine, but that could just be a front. Ducking his head down, he said quietly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Ced, really." Harry said with a small smile. This was it. Finally no more secrets. They were out of the closet so to speak. "Now take my waist, won't you?"

Cedric looked at Harry like he was crazy but then he realized that they were already at the dance floor. The music was about to begin. Quickly grasping onto Harry's waist, he tried to remember the dance but it was useless. Even though the two had practiced a bit before the ball in an attempt to not look silly, it didn't help. Neither him nor Harry were that great at this ballroom dancing stuff and they kept forgetting steps and the like.

"Okay, okay, we have to stop now." Harry said between giggles. "This is just too much." His face was going red as he tried to maintain self-control over his laughter. He pulled Cedric over to a table and plumped down into a chair.

Cedric quickly followed Harry's motions. "So much for practice, huh?"

"Yeah," Harry choked out, still giggling. "We were so graceful together."

"Did I ever mention how cute you are when you giggle?" Cedric said seriously, pulling his chair closer to Harry's. Pushing Harry's unruly hair out of his eyes, Cedric swooped in for the kiss. Touching his lips gently to Harry's, it was a simple yet romantic kiss.

Harry's mind went blank during the kiss but turned back into full working mode afterwards. "You just kissed me in public!" He hissed, his face turning a bright red.

"Yeah, so what?" Cedric replied, not caring in the slightest. "Would you like me to do it again?"

Harry was shocked that he did. Want another kiss in public, that is. Tons of them in fact. "Yes," he said breathlessly, pulling Cedric towards him again. And the two kissed, one of many to come in public.

xxxxx

So it was about halfway through the dance, Harry reckoned after glancing at his watch, and neither Ron or Hermione had approached him or Cedric. He wasn't sure what to make of it, was it a sign that they didn't approve of what he was doing? Or were they too embarrassed to speak to him?

As Harry pondered the many reasons why Hermione and Ron hadn't talked to him yet, he watched Cedric amongst his friends. It seemed for the most part that they didn't mind in the least that he was gay, except for Cho, who must have had a crush on him as she had left the ball earlier in tears after seeing the two of them together. Harry smiled, he was glad that Cedric's friends accepted him, he knew that Cedric was more worried about their response then he was letting on. Now if only Ron and Hermione would feel the same.

Maybe it was time that he approached them instead. Why wait for them to come to him? And there they were together at a table across the room. He should go over and talk to them, the sooner the better, right? Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to prepare himself before standing up and walking across the room to his friends.

"Well there you are!" Hermione said, turning in her seat and noticing that Harry had silently joined them. "We were wondering if when you were done snogging with Cedric you would come and see us," she added with a sly grin.

"Yeah, mate, why didn't you tell us?" Ron said, also turning to look at Harry.

Harry tentatively sat down at the table. They seemed to not be angry. Maybe this will go okay. "I wasn't sure how you would take it…I mean, me being gay and with Ced and all."

"How did you think we would take it? Did you think we'd stop being your friends just because of your sexuality?" Hermione asked gently, knowing that that's probably what Harry had thought.

Harry just nodded. He had been so worried about his friends' reactions, and he still wasn't sure what to think of them.

"You know we wouldn't, right Harry?" Ron said. "Hell, Charlie's gay and that doesn't bother me at all, nor the rest of the family."

"Charlie's gay!" Harry blurted out. "I would have never known…"

"Oh yeah," Ron said, waving his hand in the air. "He's living with some mate named Alex in Romania. It wasn't just the dragons that made him move there." He added with a chuckle.

"So you guys are really okay with it?" Harry asked in disbelief, amazed that it had been this easy. Why didn't he tell them earlier?

"Of course we're okay with it Harry." Hermione said, reaching across the table and taking one of Harry's hands. "As long as you don't start going out with someone like Malfoy or something," she said, making a funny face.

"Eww.." Harry said with a snicker. "That would be nasty."

"I agree," A voice said behind him.

Harry turned around to see Draco Malfoy behind him, having intruded on their conversation.

"I mean you'd have to grow some tits and get rid of that thing below the belt before I'd even think of having sex with you." Malfoy said, laughing. His date and fellow followers all laughed along with Malfoy's joke.

"Like I'd ever want to," Harry spat out, looking at Malfoy in revulsion.

"Whatever, Potter, I don't do fairies." Malfoy continued, pretending not to hear Harry's at all.

"Just leave it Malfoy," Ron said angrily.

"Or what Weasely?" Malfoy taunted, "You'll make me with the help of that fag?" He said, pointing to Harry.

"He won't have to do anything." Cedric said in a firm voice, having come upon the small confrontation. Standing behind Malfoy, Cedric grasped him by the upper arm. "Now if you don't leave my boyfriend and his friends alone, I'll have to remove you from this room forcibly. It's your choice."

Malfoy shook off Cedric's grasp. "Fine, I'll leave your bitch alone, for now," he said with a smirk and stalked off, the rest of his group following.

Cedric just shook his head and sat down next to Harry. "What an idiot."

"Yeah, thanks Ced." Harry said, glad his lover stopped whatever that confrontation might have led to. Letting Cedric wrap his arm around his waist, Harry leaned into Cedric's comforting embrace, not even pausing to think about Ron and Hermione being there.

"Oh, you guys are so cute!" Hermione said, not being able to help herself. They really were such an adorable couple.

"Hermione!" Ron groaned, embarrassed over the scene she was making. "If you expect them to hang out with us, you can't keep saying things like that!" Turning to Harry, he whispered, "She's been making comments like that all night, it's so annoying."

Harry just laughed. Hermione thought he and Cedric were cute and Ron wanted them to hang out in the future. All was good, he thought, as Hermione and Ron continued to argue, almost normal.

xxxxx

"So, was I right?" Cedric said quietly into Harry's ear, as they swayed together to the music.

"About what?" Harry replied, not knowing what he was talking about. He tightened his grasp around Cedric's neck and pulled himself closer to his lover. Leaning the side of his face on Cedric's shoulder, he waited for his response.

"About coming out to our friends and them being okay with everything," Cedric said, enjoying the feel of Harry's body along his own.

"Yeah, you were right Ced." Harry replied. "Now let's just enjoy this time together, okay?"

Cedric nodded, lightly caressing Harry's lower back as they continued to move slowly to the music, just simply dancing together.

xxxxx

Author's Note:

At last, it is done! I've had this idea in my head ever since the movie for the Goblet of Fire came out. However, due to my lending out of books, I do not have the fourth book with me at the moment so most of these events are going by the movie (I'm sorry!). Anyways, what did you think? Personally I love the pairing and I plan on writing some more oneshots based around the same time. Let me know what you thought, Spunky875.


End file.
